Emergency Instinct - Chapter 48
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Cutting through the darkness, Tae-jun entered the family home.
Unlike usual, the house was exceptionally quiet.
His parents were sitting in the drawing room, waiting for him.
“Why is the house so quiet?”
“Sit down. We wanted to talk quietly, so we sent everyone away.”
At his father’s cold voice, Tae-jun’s eyes darkened as he took a seat.
The atmosphere was ominous.
“Tae-jun, don’t you have something to tell us?”
His mother’s voice, full of disappointment, reached him.
Her eyes had become sharper than when she had unexpectedly opposed his marriage.
His father’s expression was also hardened.
Tae-jun opened his mouth with a calm voice.
“I’d like to hear an explanation first about what this is about.”
“Today, I received a threatening phone call mentioning your name.”
“…!”
His mother threw her cell phone toward Tae-jun to show him.
“She said you assaulted her and demanded 1 billion won as settlement money.”
On the phone screen, the name Park Soon-ja appeared along with an account number.
Damn it.
Tae-jun cursed inwardly.
“She said she’s Dr. Hong Ji-an’s grandmother.”
Tae-jun’s expression, already clenched with anger, became even more terrifyingly distorted.
“You really knew about this.”
Seeing his reaction, his mother let out a deep sigh.
“1 billion is for the assault settlement. And she said if you were playing around with her granddaughter, that settlement would be 3 billion.”
Tae-jun was speechless at the absurd threat.
“She said if we don’t pay everything, she’ll expose it to the media. She’d portray you as a shameless person and said things I can’t even repeat.”
While listening to cunning Park Soon-ja’s schemes, Tae-jun’s fists slowly clenched.
He had been careless. He knew she wasn’t human, but he hadn’t expected her to fearlessly threaten his mother.
Did I underestimate Park Soon-ja too much?
It was strange. She was the cowardly type who was weak to the absolutely powerful and strong to the weak.
He had only received reports from his surveillance that she was hospitalized.
He knew she was preparing medical certificates, but to contact his mother directly without going through him. What kind of audacity was this.
This wasn’t Park Soon-ja’s usual money-obsessed style.
It seemed like her primary purpose was to ruin Ji-an and his relationship rather than money.
“Tae-jun, say something. Did you really….”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I’ll resolve this quickly so it never happens again.”
Tae-jun first bowed his head.
This was clearly his mistake.
“…Tae-jun, this isn’t right. How could you do such a thing….”
“And this isn’t Ji-an’s fault.”
Song Jeong-suk felt a sharp pain in her chest at her son’s eyes that cut her off firmly even while apologizing.
At first, she had opposed the marriage out of anger at the woman’s disrespectful attitude toward her. Her hurt feelings were greater.
So she had poured out her lonely feelings to her husband. Her husband, who listened quietly, comforted her and made a promise.
‘Jeong-suk, I know Tae-jun well. Once he decides something, he runs forward like a racehorse looking only ahead. If you’re stubborn, only your heart will get hurt.’
‘I’m sorry for leaving you lonely all this time. I was thoughtless. Living like this always seemed natural, so I didn’t know you were having such a hard time. I’ll try harder from now on.’
Her frozen heart melted a little at her husband’s sincere comfort.
Her hurt feelings and worries didn’t change, but she was thinking of taking time to watch for now.
At least if it was a woman her son was thinking of marrying, it wouldn’t be too late to decide after meeting her.
But then she received Park Soon-ja’s bolt-from-the-blue phone call.
It was still vivid. That clear and vulgar voice that was hard to believe came from an elderly person.
‘If you touched the girl, you naturally have to pay the price.’
‘Don’t be stingy with small money from a wealthy family and get humiliated, let’s resolve this cheaply.’
‘If tabloids spread, Hanyeong Group’s image collapse happens in an instant. For your son with a bright future, a mother can spend that much.’
Her flesh trembled.
Even trying to forget, that shameless threat kept coming to mind.
She absolutely couldn’t accept it.
Her current opposition wasn’t just due to simple hurt feelings and worry.
“Tae-jun, this isn’t just a problem between you two anymore. The current situation puts even Hanyeong Group at risk….”
“Honey, that’s enough. There’s no need to persuade him with difficulty.”
Seo Dae-ho, who had been quiet the whole time, shook his head at his wife and spoke up.
“I absolutely cannot allow this marriage.”
“I can resolve this immediately.”
Even Tae-jun couldn’t help but be flustered by his father’s hard-line reaction, who hadn’t shown much resistance to his marriage.
“It’s too late. The incident has already happened, and I absolutely cannot tolerate this.”
“Father!”
“How dare she make such a threatening phone call!”
Along with his anger, Seo Dae-ho violently struck the sofa armrest.
“…H-honey. Calm down.”
Song Jeong-suk looked at her husband shouting in surprise.
“Resolve this immediately.”
Her husband glared at their son even more terrifyingly and raised his voice.
“I’ll handle it well so there’s no damage to the company.”
“That’s a given. Fire Dr. Hong Ji-an too. Get her out of Hanyeong Hospital immediately.”
“Honey! Even so, firing her is….”
Song Jeong-suk was even more shocked.
Tae-jun also confronted the clearly emotional wrongful dismissal order tensely.
“I can’t do that. Don’t touch Ji-an.”
“Ha, what if I do?”
“There will be no marriage in my life. You’ll never see grandchildren either.”
“Then live alone forever! I have no more expectations either!”
“Dear, why are you saying such things….”
Song Jeong-suk shook her head in shock.
This reaction was really unlike her husband.
No matter how angry he got, he had never raised his voice to family until now. Moreover, he wasn’t someone who got excited this easily.
“Why are you really acting like this? Please be a little calmer….”
But her husband, as if he couldn’t hear her words, spoke even more firmly.
“If you don’t like it, put everything down and leave! I can’t forgive even my own son for daring to hurt my wife.”
“…!”
“Go. Don’t ever think of entering my house again!”
Her husband, who had given Tae-jun an expulsion order, abruptly stood up from his seat.
Her shocked heart beat painfully as if it would pierce through her ribcage.
Her husband was like a quiet winter sea.
Only knowing work, always cold and indifferent. Therefore, such a blunt man who made her, by his side, too lonely and cold.
Even though her husband had promised to try harder in the future, she never expected him to handle things so emotionally.
She was both surprised and confused.
“I will resolve today’s matter immediately.”
Tae-jun bowed his head to her with a hardened expression.
Unable to respond, she bit her lips bitterly when Tae-jun’s phone vibrated.
Tae-jun’s eyes wavered as he checked the content.
His gaze, turbulent with countless emotions, was ominous.
“I have an urgent matter, so I’ll leave first. I’m sorry.”
Tae-jun rushed out in haste.
It must be about that girl. Seeing him apologize like that again.
She watched her son’s retreating figure for a long time.
At her son’s drooping shoulders, a mother’s heart crumbled even more as if weighted down with lead.
***
“Hehe, yes. Well done.”
Cha Bo-kyung twisted her red lips and smiled brightly.
Hiding her identity and manipulating Park Soon-ja, who was desperate for money, was easy.
-I did as you told me, so hurry up and send the promised money first.
Park Soon-ja’s impatient voice came through.
She’s not even a money ghost, yet every word ends with talk of money.
Well, these kinds of people are easier to use anyway.
“I’ll send a bundle by quick delivery now. There’s no point in having it show up in bank records.”
-You’re thorough. But doing this, will Hanyeong Group really give money?
“Just do as I tell you. I know Song Jeong-suk well. She hates disturbances, so if we keep pressuring her, we can secure 1 billion won.”
But she’ll never give permission for marriage.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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